Matthew 19
1 At the conclusion of this teaching, Jesus withdrew from Galilee, and went into that district of Judea which is on the other side of the Jordan.
And when Jesus had ended these discourses, he removed from Galilee, and came to the confines of Judaea on the other side of Jordan.
2 Great crowds followed him, and he cured them there.
And great multitudes followed after him, and he healed them there.
3 Presently some Pharisees came up to him, and, to test him, said, “Has a man the right to divorce his wife for every cause?”
And Pharisees came to him, and tempted him and said: Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for every cause?
4 “Haven’t you read,” replied Jesus, “that at the beginning the Creator ‘made them male and female,’
And he answered and said to them: Have ye not read, that he who made them at the beginning, made them a male and a female?
5 and said – ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother, and be united to his wife, and the man and his wife will become one’?
And he said: For this reason, a man shall leave his father and his mother, and adhere to his wife; and they two shall be one flesh.
6 So that they are no longer two, but one. What God himself, then, has yoked together people must not separate.”
Wherefore they were not two, but one flesh. What therefore God hath united, let not man sunder.
7 “Why, then,” they said, “did Moses direct that a man should serve his wife with a notice of separation and divorce her?”
They say to him: Why then did Moses command to give a bill of divorce, and to put her away?
8 “Moses, owing to the hardness of your hearts,” answered Jesus, “permitted you to divorce your wives, but that was not so at the beginning.
He said to them: Moses, on account of the hardness of your heart, permitted you to divorce your wives: but from the beginning it was not so.
9 But I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except on the ground of some serious sexual sin, and marries another woman, is guilty of adultery.”
And I say to you, That whoever leaveth his wife not being an adulteress, and taketh another, committeth adultery. And whoever taketh her that is divorced, committeth adultery.
10 “If that,” said the disciples, “is the position of a man with regard to his wife, it is better not to marry.”
His disciples say to him: If such is the case between man and wife, it is not expedient to take a wife.
11 “It is not everyone,” replied Jesus, “who can accept this teaching, but only those who have been enabled to do so.
But he said to them: Not every one is capable of that thing, but he only to whom it is given.
12 Some men are incapable of marriage because they were born that way, or have been made so by other people, while there are others who stay single for the sake of the kingdom of Heaven. Accept this if you can.”
For there are some eunuchs, born so from their mother's womb; and there are some eunuchs, who were made eunuchs by men; and there are some eunuchs who have made themselves eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom of heaven. He that can be contented let him be contented.
13 Then some little children were brought to Jesus, for him to place his hands on them, and pray; but the disciples found fault with those who had brought them.
Then they brought children to him, that he might lay his hand upon them and pray. And his disciples rebuked them.
14 Jesus, however, said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for it is to the childlike that the kingdom of heaven belongs.”
But Jesus said to them: Allow children to come to me, and forbid them not; for of those that are like them is the kingdom of heaven.
15 So he placed his hands on them, and then went on his way.
And he laid his hand upon them, and departed from there.
16 A man came up to Jesus, and said, “Teacher, what good thing must I do to obtain eternal life?” (aiōnios g166)
And one came, drew near, and said to him: Good Teacher, what good thing must I do, that eternal life may be mine? (aiōnios g166)
17 “Why ask me about goodness?” answered Jesus. “There is but One who is good. If you want to enter the life, keep the commandments.”
And he said to him: Why callest thou me good? There is none good, except one, namely, God. But if thou wouldst enter into life, keep the commandments.
18 “What commandments?” asked the man. “These,” answered Jesus, – “‘You must not kill. You must not commit adultery. You must not steal. You must not say what is false about others.
He said to him, Which? And Jesus said to him: Thou shalt not kill; and thou shalt not commit adultery; and thou shalt not steal; and thou shalt not bear false testimony;
19 Honor your father and your mother.’ And ‘You must love your neighbor as you love yourself.’”
and honor thy father and thy mother; and thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.
20 “I have observed all these,” said the young man. “What is still wanting in me?”
The young man saith to him: All these have I kept from my childhood. What do I lack?
21 “If you wish to be perfect,” answered Jesus, “go and sell your property, and give to the poor, and you will have wealth in heaven; then come and follow me.”
Jesus saith to him: If thou desirest to be perfect, go, sell thy property, and give to the poor; and there shall be for thee a treasure in heaven; and come thou after me.
22 On hearing these words, the young man went away distressed, for he had great possessions.
And the young man heard that speech, and he went away in sadness; for he had much property.
23 At this, Jesus said to his disciples, “I tell you that a rich person will find it hard to enter the kingdom of heaven!
And Jesus said to his disciples: Verily I say to you, it is difficult for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of heaven.
24 I say again, it is easier for a camel to get through a needle’s eye than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of heaven!”
And again, I say to you: It is easier for a camel to enter the aperture of a needle, than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God
25 On hearing this, the disciples exclaimed in great astonishment, “Who then can possibly be saved?”
And when the disciples heard it, they wondered greatly, and said: Who then can attain to life!
26 But Jesus looked at them, and said, “With people this is impossible, but with God everything is possible.” Then Peter turned and said to Jesus,
Jesus looked on them, and said to them: With men this is not practicable, but with God every thing is practicable.
27 “But we – we left everything, and followed you; what, then, will we have?”
Then answered Cephas, and said to him: Lo, we have forsaken every thing, and come after thee: What therefore shall we receive?
28 “I tell you,” answered Jesus, “that at the new creation, when the Son of Man takes his seat on his throne of glory, you who followed me will be seated on twelve thrones, as judges of the twelve tribes of Israel.
Jesus said to them: Verily I say to you, that, as for you who have followed me, when the Son of man shall sit on the throne of his glory in the new world, ye also shall sit on twelve seats, and shall judge the twelve tribes of Israel.
29 Everyone who has left houses, or brothers, or sisters, or father, or mother, or children, or land, for my sake, will receive many times as much, and will gain eternal life. (aiōnios g166)
And every man that relinquisheth houses, or brothers or sisters, or father or mother, or wife or children, or lands, for my name's sake, shall receive an hundredfold, and shall inherit eternal life. (aiōnios g166)
30 But many who are first now will then be last, and those who are last will be first.
But there are many first who shall be last, and last who shall be first.
